A report prepared by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and sent to police stations in the Coast region on June 4, indicates that Idris Kamau, a Kenyan of Kikuyu ethnicity, was the alleged mastermind of the spate of terror attacks in Lamu that have so far claimed 87 lives, according to the Standard Media Group.
The NIS report also mentions a former Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier, Abu Jamal, as being in charge of a cell of the Al Shabaab fighters in Mombasa, said to be planning more attacks in the region.
As stated in the report, Kamau and his group of fighters are believed to be hiding in the Boni Forest, where they have allegedly set up an operations camp. The report warns of planned attacks in Mokowe and Kipini in Lamu County, Ijara, Garsen, and Malindi in Kilifi County, although the dates for these attacks are unspecified.
The report, as seen by the Standard Media Group, further details that the planned attack in Malindi is expected to involve approximately 150 fighters, divided into three groups. Additionally, it warns that the two field commanders of the terror group plan to recruit more Muslim youth in Mombasa for training at an undisclosed location near the port city.
Further details about the two Al Shabaab commanders could not be established from security forces, who became uncooperative when asked for clarification. Despite the lack of visual identification, the naming of the suspects constitutes a significant development in understanding the identity of the attackers.
